1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dock systems, and more particularly to a non-wood, portable buoyant molded dock system having all necessary structural, floatation, and latching features integrated into a single piece maintenance free dock section.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buoyant dock systems familiar to those skilled in that art are generally constructed of wood, as wood has customarily been the material of choice to make up the majority of docks that are pier-type in nature. Wood has disadvantages however, such as the perpetual necessity to maintain the surface of the wood in a manner which prevents rotting or otherwise to remove dirt and oils because the rate of wood degradation in a wet environment is significant when compared with man made materials such as plastic. It is well known for example, that wooden docks commence deteriorating immediately upon use. Furthermore, slivers and abrasions caused from sharp edges and fasteners are common hazards associated with wood docks.
It is now well accepted that materials such as aluminum in combination with plastic decking can be utilized to construct docks that are very weather resistant. Generally, these docks are not of a buoyant design and are therefore difficult to install. It is well known that such docks are also very costly to fabricate.
What is still needed is a molded dock system having dock sections configured with all necessary structural, floatation and latching systems integrated into a rugged, light weight and maintenance free dock section. The dock section should have sufficient buoyancy to accomplish easy installation and should have a latching structure which promotes ease of alignment and coupling with other like dock sections. All necessary structural support should be configured for use without fastening hardware. Each dock section should most preferably have side stringers removably attached without use of mounting hardware and configured for accepting a variety of hanger brackets to accommodate portable installations or installations where permanent "H" post arrangements are employed.
Various floating dock systems and associated structures are taught in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,634, issued Dec. 6, 1983, to Gerbus, entitled Marine Float, discloses a dock system of a substantially rectangular molded dock shell filled with buoyant polyurethane foam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,588, issued Jul. 21, 1970, to Atlas, entitled Movable Floating Boat Anchorage, teaches trusses, support beams and use of at least one stringer. U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,545, issued Mar. 14, 1933, entitled Boat, teaches latching flanges. U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,495, issued Apr. 28, 1987, to Thompson, entitled Floating Dock/Marina System, teaches formation of a crown structure in association with a floating dock. U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,097, issued Apr. 7, 1998, to Cheyne, entitled Platform Assembly System, teaches ultraviolet light stabilization. None of the prior art publications is known by the present inventors to teach use of columnar elements spatially positioned within a dock shell to provide structural rigidity and desired adhesive surface area for use with polyurethane. Further, none of the prior art publications is believed by the present inventors to teach use of removably attached longitudinal side support members configured to be attachable to an associated dock section without use of fastening hardware and that also prevents a dock shell from deflecting in a horizontal or latitudinal direction.